Mid Hudson Times Dec. 09 2015

TIMES MID HUDSON Vol. 27, No 49 3 DECEMBER 9 - 15, 2015 At least two early-morning shootings took place within an hour of one another in the East End of the City of Newburgh last week. Police say they do not know if the shootings were related. At 1:15 a.m. on Nov. 28, a city police officer was patrolling the area around 50 Front Street when he heard shots fired. Soon after, police found a 21-year-old man in the street, shot in both legs. As police attended to the victim, they received information about another man, 23, who arrived at St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital with gunshot wounds in his abdomen and right leg. “Both victims stated they were walking in the area of 50 Front St. when they heard gunshots and realized they had been struck,” a city police press release stated. Then, according to city police, at 1:50 a.m. they received news of a third victim, taken to the hospital by a friend. An investigation revealed he had been walking in the area of Grand Street and Broad ONE DOLLAR Queen of the Hudson Music Series Page 16 SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR 3 shootings in East End By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] 3 Street, where, the 22-year-old claimed, he heard people arguing. “The victim heard gunshots and then felt pain in his arm,” the press release stated. So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the shootings. “They are still open investigations,” city police Chief Dan Cameron said, and no further details were released. When asked if the shooting incidents were related, Cameron said police were “investigating the proximity of shoot- The right to bear arms Ulster Sheriff urges licensed handgun owners to carry them Continued on page 5 No need for a sled Santa arrives by horse-drawn carriage, Friday night, at the Town of New Windsor annual Holiday Tree Lighting. More photos on pages 26-27. WWW.MIDHUDSONTIMES.COM By SHANTAL RILEY [email protected] If you are licensed to carry a firearm, “please do so.” That was the gist of the message posted to Facebook by Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum last Thursday. “In light of recent events that have occurred in the United States and around the world, I want to encourage citizens of Ulster County who are licensed to carry a firearm to please do so,” Van Blarcum wrote, with “please do so” written in capital letters. The post came a day after a radicalized Muslim couple opened fire at work party in San Bernardino, California, and three weeks after terrorists went on a mass-shooting spree in Paris, France. The shootings took the lives of more than 130 people. The world reacted in horror following the attacks. In Ulster County, Van Blarcum took to the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page to urge licensed gun owners to “take advantage” of their legal right to carry a gun. “I urge you to responsibly take advantage of your legal right to carry a firearm,” the post states. “To ensure the safety of yourself and others, make sure you are comfortable and proficient with your weapon, and knowledgeable of the laws Continued on page 4